POWER PWG, Delivering Low Carbon Behaviours: TrIsCo Overview & Best Practice

Transition Island Communities: Empowering Localities to Act (TrIsCo)

Project part-financed by the European Union

Project part-financed by the European Union

TrIsCo Aims

• To enable different ‘islands’ of communities (households, businesses and public bodies) to reduce their Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions by changing their attitudes and behaviour towards resource use

• Embed sustainability (social, economic and environmental) into behaviour change drivers;

• Overcome barriers to implementing low carbon communities

TrIsCo is part financed through the POWER programme from EU Interreg IVC.

The Partnership

ACER Reggio Emilia

A Social housing operator representing 45 municipalities and the Province of Reggio Emilia, Italy

the Environment Centre (tEC)

An environmental charity from South East England, UK

Viimsi Vallavalitsus

The rural Municipality of Viimsi, Estonia

Universídad de Sevilla

The University of Seville, Andalucía, Spain

Stichting Brabantse Milieufederatie

A not for profit organisation from North Brabant, the Netherlands

Gotlands Kommun

The Municipality of Gotland, Sweden

Project part-financed by the European Union

Key OutcomesEmpowering CO2 Reduction’ catalogue• the catalogue will showcase best practices across the partner regions,

and contain instruments and initiatives that will enable public bodies, businesses and communities to take action and assess their own success

• A simple Energy Assessment Tool is being developed which will calculate a buildings CO2 emissions and can demonstrate areas for potential improvement

Through the collective experiences of the partnership, the catalogue is

designed to be useful to communities and organisations throughout Europe, whatever their current involvement in the climate change debate.

The project will evaluate and advertise the CO2 savings of the communities, and the consequences of these savings, so they can see that they are making a real difference, thus encouraging further behaviour change.

Project part-financed by the European Union

Communities

• Affluent city streets

• Social housing estates and associations

• Rural communities

• Island communities

• Businesses

• Households in fuel poverty

Project part-financed by the European Union

Project Activities & Timeline

Project activities include:

• Study Tours and Interregional Events

• Simple Energy Assessment Tool

• Business Workshops and Seminars

• Education programmes

• Community events

• Action packs for residents

Project Timeline: July 2009 - September 2011 PSG Meeting, Gotland, Sweden

Solar & Biomass Heating Fair, Gotland, Sweden

Project part-financed by the European Union

Best Practice: Climate Street Party Competition

Location: The Netherlands

Aims:

• To make the general public more conscious about their energy consumption and how CO2 emissions affect the environment

• To encourage and inspire people to take action both individually and with their neighbours.

Concept:

• Government funded country-wide initiative where individuals and streets

compete to be as climate friendly as possible.

• Each member of the street can earn points by taking energy saving measures

• The street as a whole can also earn points by organizing activities

Project part-financed by the European Union

Project part-financed by the European Union

Best Practice: Climate Street Party Competition

Climate Street Party Website

Individuals make a personal account

Points are awarded for:

• Taking energy saving actions their house

• Taking energy saving actions with their neighbors

• Recruit new participants

The Party

The 500 best streets win a party package

Each participating address receives €25 in food coupons

The best street wins a fully organized party including BBQ and a performance by

famous artist

Project part-financed by the European Union

Best Practice: Energy Monitor Loan Scheme

Location: Hampshire, UK

Duration: 6 months

Aim:

• To increase homeowners’ awareness of energy use in the home

• To reduce electricity ‘waste’, CO2 emissions and utility bills• To allow homeowners to see which appliances and devices use the most

energy and see the effects of switching these off

Baselining electricity use:• through assessing previous bills• A period where participants install the monitor but maintain their usual

behaviour• This is recorded on the monitor and provides a secondary baseline

OWL Electricity Monitor

Project part-financed by the European Union

Best Practice: Energy Monitor Loan Scheme

Support:• Short information session - focussing on how to read bills, understanding and

installing the monitors• An information pack including: an easy installation guide, step-by-step guide (what

residents should be doing), and a data recording sheet • A feedback session at the end of the scheme to discuss experience, find out how

much energy, CO2 and money was saved

Communications:• A free phone advice line for tips about

energy saving in the home

• TrIsCo web pages- participants can send tEC their meter readings and post comments about their experiences.

• E-shots with useful tips, reminders etc.

Project part-financed by the European Union

Best Practice: Public Campaigns to promote Domestic Solar and Biomass Heating

Location: Gotland, Sweden

Aims:

• To promote the transition from fossil fuel heating systems to Renewable Energy solutions

• To encourage increased up take by residents

• To inspire local businesses to take advantage of potential market growth

The municipality contacted businesses within the solar and biomass heating supply chain and encouraged them to become actively involved in developing a programme for the fair. This resulted in the formation of a local entrepreneurs network.

The fair was partly funded by the Municipality through the TrIsCo project, with a small fee for the participating businesses.

Project part-financed by the European Union

Project part-financed by the European Union

Best Practice: Public Campaigns to promote Domestic Solar and Biomass Heating

A recognised expert in the field of solar and biofuel heating systems was invited to attend the fair to deliver a training seminar for the businesses and also to promote the technologies to the wider public.

The Fair was held in the grounds of a hotel with a state of the art renewable energy system, combining solar PV and biomass heating.

A total of 23 businesses exhibited their products: 10 mainland suppliers, 13 local bio-energy and solar energy entrepreneurs. Feedback from the participating businesses was extremely positive.

Figures for successful installations resulting from this fair are being recorded, in order to calculate CO

2 savings.

A total of 29 best practices will be identified throughout the project and form the backbone of the Empowering CO

2 Reduction Catalogue.

Project part-financed by the European Union

Find out more

For more information about the project including upcoming events, reports and newsletters visit the TrIsCo web pages: www.environmentcentre.com/trisco

ACER Reggio Emilia, Italy the Environment Centre (tEC), UKContact: Alessandro Viglioli Contact: Helen FarleyEmail: [email protected] Email: [email protected]: +39 0522 236 662 Tel: +44 (0) 2380 336199 Web: www.acer.re.it Web: www.environmentcentre.com/TrIsCo

Stichting Brabantse Milieufederatie (BMF), Viimsi Vallavalitsus, Estoniathe NetherlandsContact: Ilse Hoenderdos Contact: Enno Selirand Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]: +31 (0) 135809802 Tel: +372 56471181   Web: www.bmf.antenna.nl Website: www.viimsivald.ee/

Gotlands Kommun, Sweden Universidad de Sevilla, SpainContact: Helena Andersson Contact: Madelyn Marrero-MelendezEmail: [email protected] Email: [email protected]: +46 (498) 26 82 12 Tel: +34 954556662Website: www.gotland.se/eco Website: www.us.es